Can you let the beardie bask outside?

[Lemonizer]

Me again, bothering you all with my nooby questions :mrgreen:

I was just wondering if I could put my beardie outside in the summer to bask (It gets around 110 F in the summer) in an enclosure or something. Has anybody done that before? There are no dogs running loose or anything, and he'll be on the patio for the entire time. It won't be very long - not much more than half an hour.

 

[CooperDragon]

Absolutely. The natural sunlight is great for them. Just need to keep a close eye on them to protect from predators and make sure they don't run off. Having a simple leash can be helpful but not always necessary depending on the situation.

This is Darwin basking outside last summer.

 

[Gormagon]

Yes!!! Be sure he's not in an enclosed tank or tub, those will roast him. Remember this.... They are fast, they scare easy and, watch for predators like birds of prey "owls, hawks eagles and, falcons" they are quick and, stealthy. Never take your eyes off of him, they can vanish in a hurry.

 

[CooperDragon]

^ can't overstate that. When they get frightened by something they can be VERY fast and they can often sense something (usually a helicopter in my case but could be a bird or similar overhead) well before I can.

 

[Barbcan23]

It’s definitely a great idea letting them be outside in natural sunlight! As long as it’s not insanely hot. An hour in the sun is like the equivalent to a years worth of a UVB bulb in their enclosure!

 

[AHBD]

Yes, outdoor basking time is very beneficial. You just have to be careful and make sure that it's in part shade , and if it got to be 110 then it would be time to take beardie indoors since it would likely be to hot even in the shade for your beardie to be comfortable. You can probably choose a time of day when it's not that hot. The high 80's is a good temp. If the enclosure is a screen cage + was set in the grass rather than a patio then a higher temp. could be tolerated since he could keep cooler in the grass but would still need a shaded area.